The present invention is directed to platen wedges for use in a press which is adapted to receive and compress a material or object under extreme pressures.
In the formation of a bale, the material to be baled is placed into the press and tightly compacted. While the material is held under pressure in the press, tie bands are secured about the bale through accommodating slots which are located within the surfaces of the upper and lower press platens. These tie bands are generally formed of cordage, wire or flat strips that are secured around the baled object. Because the accommodating slots are positioned within the pressed platens, when the pressure on the upper press platen is released, the compacted bale expands outwardly until the bale engages and is retained by bale ties. However, existing and prior art presses have not provided bales having a uniform density throughout and have not provided devices which yield an economy in the usage of the bale tie material. Additionally, in many instances, the bale ties are under considerably more stress in certain areas of the bale than in others.